On my Thanksgiving trip to visit family in Nashville, TN, I was so excited have an opportunity to sit down with Kathleen Cotter, owner of “The Bloomy Rind,” a mobile cheese shop which connects residents of Music City with a selection of stellar cheeses. It was an incredible opportunity to get schooled on the great things afoot with artisan and farmstead cheese scene in the southeastern US.

Kathleen sells fine cheeses at a stand at the Nashville Farmers Market and works as cheese buyer for Tayste Restaurant which serves as command central for cutting and storing Bloomy Rind cheeses as plans for a cheese shop develop.

Careful to respect cheesemakers in the Nashville market, early on Kathleen decided to bring to market only styles and types of cheese not being produced and sold direct locally. She enthusiastically tells a great tale about the rise of southern cheesemaking and a burgeoning cheese scene afoot.

Judging by the incredible array of cheeses she shared with me, I am impressed with the quality and variety of cheeses being produced, certainly the Southeast is now on my radar as an up-and-coming cheesemaking region and I look forward to savoring more cheeses in future trips!